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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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I think that Knox was a great help in the more practical politics of the situation. When the would talk to a Republican Senator or Congressman about something or other, he would talk in terms of this being good for the Republican party. He would say, “there's no reason why the Republicans should be left out on this.” He would make it a clear political trade - “This isn't going to be so bad. The Republican Party is going to need all the friends it can get in the future,” and so forth.

They were both very useful in that way and they took no part whatever in the campaign.

Of course, the presence of Jesse Jones in the Cabinet offered a different situation than we had ever had before. Although Jones had often been in Cabinet meetings as a consultant on something special, staying a while and than leaving, he was much more political. Everything began with politics with him. When he would have anything to say, he would start with the politics of the situation first, and then down to the performance, the internal problems of the department, and so on, afterwards. He also was more of a jokestar than most of the others had been. He was frequently popping up with a joke or a story.





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